In general, multiple semiconductor integrated circuits formed on a semiconductor wafer undergo an electrical test before being separated into respective chips to determine whether or not they are manufactured in accordance with the specification. In this electrical test, a probe assembly such as a probe card provided with a plurality of probes to be connected to electrodes of devices under test that are the respective semiconductor integrated circuits, that is, an electrical connecting apparatus, is used. The devices under test are connected to a tester via this electrical connecting apparatus.
As one of conventional probes used for this electrical connecting apparatus of this kind, there is one including a plate-like probe main body portion or a probe main body portion and a probe tip portion provided on the probe main body portion to abut on an electrode of a device under test (for example, refer to Patent Literature 1 and 2). The probe main body portion has an attaching portion having a connection end to a probe base plate to which the probe is attached, an arm portion extending in a lateral direction from the attaching portion to be spaced from the probe base plate along the probe base plate, and a pedestal portion extending downward from a tip end of the arm portion, and the pedestal portion is provided with the probe tip portion. The probe of this kind is referred to as a so-to-speak cantilever-type probe.
In the probe described in Patent Literature 1, the probe main body portion is made of a conductive material with higher resiliency than a material used for the probe tip portion. On the other hand, the probe tip portion provided at a tip end of the pedestal portion of the probe main body portion is made of a conductive material more excellent in hardness than the material used for the probe main body portion.
By doing so, when a tip end (probe tip) of the probe tip portion of the probe is thrust to the electrode of the device under test, appropriate flexible deformation can be generated in the arm portion by elasticity of the arm portion. When the probe tip slides on the electrode along with the flexible deformation of this arm portion, an oxide film on the electrode is scraped away by the slide of the probe tip. Thus, the probe tip electrically contacts the electrode reliably. Also, since the probe tip portion including the probe tip is made of a metal material with higher hardness than the probe main body portion, abrasion by the slide of the probe tip is suppressed. Accordingly, the probe is provided with favorable electrical and mechanical characteristics.
Meanwhile, when the probe size is reduced along with a trend of a fine pitch in the electrodes of the device under test, an allowable current amount that can flow in the probe is decreased. By maintaining current flowing in the probe within the allowable current amount, appropriate electrical contact can be achieved between the probe and the electrode in a state where appropriate probe pressure is applied to the probe tip of the probe by the elasticity of the probe. However, when overcurrent exceeding the allowable current flows in the probe, a temperature of the probe increases, and loss is generated in the elasticity of the probe by this temperature increase, which may cause the probe to be damaged.